What happened to Judge Lynn Toler's husband, Eric Mumford? Kids and personal life explored 

(Image via @realjudgelynn/Instagram).
Eric Mumford died at the age of 71. (Image via @realjudgelynn/Instagram)

Judge Lynn Toler of Divorce Court fame announced the passing of her husband, Eric Mumford on Thursday, January 4, 2023. Eric Mumford was 71 at the time of his death on December 23, 2022. His cause of death has not been revealed as of writing this article.

Judge Toler took to Instagram to make the announcement, posting a video with the caption:

"Eric Mumford BigE. January 1, 1951 - December 23, 2022. I am in a million pieces."

The couple, whose marriage was an inspiration to many, were together for 33 years.

The video was inscribed with the words, "Beautiful Man. Both inside and out," and included Anita Baker’s Sweet Love playing in the background.

Lynn Toler and her husband Eric Mumford met in 1986 and tied the knot on April 6, 1989. The pair had two children together, William and Xavier Mumford, now in their 30s. Eric Mumford also had four sons from his previous marriage.


Divorce Court saved Lynn Toler's marriage

Apart from being a layer, Lynn Toler, 63, born in Columbus, Ohio, is the author of Making Marriage Work. She was also the host of the television series Divorce Court for 13 years until March 2020, when Faith Jenkins took over. Although not much is known about Eric Mumford, also referred to as Big E by Toler, he was reportedly a retired accountant.

The couple started dating in 1986 and got married in 1989 after a two-year engagement. On their anniversary in 2022, Judge Toler shared the trajectory of their relationship through a carousel of photos on Instagram, and mentioned that they were "unceremoniously hitched at lunchtime."

She mentioned that Big E and her were married for 33 years and together for 35. She stated that there was no "happily ever after" and all that mattered was the "journey."

Big E, who had four kids from his first marriage, also fathered two kids with Lynn Toler, named William and Xavier. William Mumford-Toler is an audio engineer, and Xavier-Mumford Toler is a basketball player.

Judge Lynn Toler has always been candid about her personal life and wrote an op-ed for HuffPost in 2017, giving insight into her relationship with Mumford. She also confessed that while the reality show could come across as exaggerated or "voyeuristic," Divorce Court played a huge role in saving their marriage, which was "off the road and deep in the weeds" in its 19th year.

She wrote:

"When my husband and I were staring into the marital abyss, I learned a valuable lesson from Divorce Court that helped me out at home."

According to Toler, the cases she encountered made her realize the importance of communication and overcoming insecurity. She stated that the couple took time out to understand each other's perspectives and "fight the problem instead of fighting one another."

She added that their strong bond and commitment to each other allowed them to have a long marriage, as she stated:

"Of course, this does not guarantee we'll get to happily ever after. Marriage is quite the journey and things change all the time. We have made a conscious decision to be consciously married. We also have our fingers crossed."

Following the announcement of Eric Mumford's death, Lynn Toler received condolences from fans and friends, including her former Divorce Court family.

Lynn Toler currently acts as the co-host and 'marriage mentor' for We TV's reality series Marriage Boot Camp.

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